Shining Bind
by Cherry chain
Summary: Mithos had gone too far, and Kratos left him to find a way for the two worlds to once again become whole. Along the way, he meets a young woman by the name of Anna, and the two develope unexpected feelings for each other... Kranna
1. Chapter 1: Fate's encounter

AN: Cherry here. I had a similar story already written out a few days ago, but after looking it over once more, I really didn't like it. That's me though, I never seem to be satisfied with my works. So here's the new and improved version. I've also noticed a lot of stories very similar to this. So sorry if this sound a lot like yours, I started writing this at school a few months ago. Oh, English is not my first language, and this is one of my first major fanfics.

Anyways, on to Shining Bind!

Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia, Kratos, Anna, Noishe, Yuan, Yggdrasil, and all of those other people/places/things related to the game does not belong to me.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Yuan asked, placing a hand on Kratos's shoulder. Kratos shrugged it off though and turned around to look at the blue-haired angel.

"I need some time to think. Mithos's plan…" Kratos trailed off and shook his head.

"Is madness." Yuan finished for him. He watched as Kratos headed for the portal that would bring him back down to the world of Sylvarant.

"Be careful old friend." Yuan whispered after him, then turned and left. The four seraphim had not been friends for a long time, they were no longer comfortable in each other's presence anymore. The bond they had forged during the war seemed weak now, and the former close friends no longer trust each other anymore. Such a pity.

As Kratos neared the portal, something green and silver flashed on the edge of his vision, but before he could react, something large jumped on him, knocking him down. Chuckling, he pushed the Protozoan off of him, and watched the creature's eager eyes.

"Alright Noishe, you can come." Kratos told the Arshis with a smile. One of his only friends these days, Noishe had been a loyal companion since they had first met four thousand years ago.

So with Noishe at his heels and the Tower of salvation at his back, Kratos descended upon the world of Sylvarant.

--

Only when you have lost everything, are you free to do anything. A prisoner is one such person, and while the jailer might have many things on their mind, the prisoner only has one: escape.

The Desians were not in a good mood. Five escaped prisoners in the last week. Perhaps it was the fact that the Chosen was in the area, but whatever the cause, Lord Kvar was not pleased.

The ranch was going crazy. Two host bodies had disappeared today, and one of them bore a very special exsphere. Lord Yggdrasill will not be happy if it was lost. The remaining human prisoners were forced back into their cells, and most of the Desian were sent on a full-scaled search of the surrounding area, from the forest all the way to the cliffs.

Little did they know that the two were still in the ranch.

Anna watched as the pink sky slowly turned a shade of purple, dark blue, then finally black above them. The blocks of steel around them partially blocked out the moon ahead, and showed but a sliver of the sky. Anna held a small boy tightly in her arms, though he was sobbing quietly, trying to break free. Anna only tightened her hold.

"Ben. Please stop squirming." Anna told the boy in a quiet voice, and Benjamin looked at her with fearful eyes, then dug his face into her chest, stifling his crying. The young boy's parents had just been killed by the Desians this morning. Ben though, tried to interfere, one of the worst things he could do in a ranch. One must not attract attention upon oneself if they wish to remain alive- that is the rule amongst the prisoners.

Anna had grabbed the boy in time, and somehow found this hiding place. It was a deserted part of the ranch filled with metal crates. The two managed to find a small gap between the steel walls to hide. And now, Anna was unsure of what to do. She had fled solely to protect the boy from the Desians, who surely would have beaten the small kid to death. It's a sight too common in the Ranches.

Anna knew that just going back after being missing will earn both of them a good whipping, and she in her poor health knows that she wouldn't be able to take it as she did when she first came here several years ago.

"Stay here." Anna instructed the boy, an idea suddenly forming in her head. Climbing to the top of the metal structures, she could see the main gate from her perch. There was no lighting in the area, but Anna stayed low anyways just in case. She watched the Guards for about an hour. Every once in a while, a Desian comes running back with news to the Guard, who rushes in into the main building to report. But he's never gone for long...long enough for her and Ben to make it out the gate?

Anna helped Benjamin up and pointed out the absence of the guard out for him. The little boy only nodded, clutching at Anna's torn dress desperately. The two watched the Guards carefully, and when the Desian came back to talk to the guard, Anna nodded at Ben and the two quickly scrambled off the metal crates, and ran for the gate. By then, the Guard had already gone back into the building to report.

He was back the moment the two reached the gate. With a startled yell, he quickly ran at the two, weapon drawn, though Anna didn't look at him long enough to distinguish what type of weapon he held.

"Run Ben!" She yelled at the boy, who didn't need to be told twice. Both of them ran out into the darkness of the underbrush, the moon Tethe'ella illuminating everything with a silver sheen. Branches whipped past, drawing blood on numerous scratches, but neither Anna nor the small boy really cared at the moment.

Footing was treacherous, many rocks and roots ready to trip the two. At the reckless pace they were going, it was no wonder when Ben suddenly fell with a pained yell, clutching at his ankle. Anna skidded to a stop, her heart pounding and bent down to help the boy.

The Desians were already upon them.

--

Kratos and Noishe stayed in the City of Luin for several days, though Kratos took time to adjust. The people around him were no longer unthinking angels that would follow commands without question.

During his sojourn, Kratos saw the brutality of the Desians, though he always kept an impassive face whenever an innocent young girl or old man was dragged through the streets by the half-elves, their desperate family calling after them, only to be stopped at the point of a weapon.

It took a while for Kratos to realize that he didn't want to go back to Derris-Kharlan, at least not yet. Mithos had proposed an Age of Lifeless beings…Kratos was starting to think Mithos was taking Martel's last words too seriously.

Thus, Kratos left the city of Luin and the Desians behind. If Yggdrasil wanted him back to Derris-Kharlan, perhaps Kratos shouldn't make it too easy for him. They traveled north of the city, maybe a bit too near the ranch…

"Is something wrong boy?" Kratos asked the protozoan, who had suddenly stopped in his tracks to sniff the ground. There were monsters around, Kratos knew, but they were no threat to the two. Noishe didn't reply, looking at the cliffs off in the distance. It was dark, but the outline of the distant building was easily seen against the star-filled sky. The Asgard Ranch.

Before Kratos could react, Noishe bounded off in the direction of the ranch. Kratos looked around for a moment, then ran after the Arshis.

"Noishe!" He called out, but the Protozoan didn't seem to hear.

--

Anna helped Ben to his feet, aware that their pursuers had surrounded them. She searched the ground for something to fight with, a stick or a rock, anything, but a strong hand already grabbed her arm, holding her still no matter how much she tried to wriggle free. She stopped as a dagger was pressed against her throat, drawing blood.

"Thought you got away didn't you you wretch?" one of the Desian snarled at her, and she just glared at him. He responded with a scowl. "I don't like this one's attitude." He growled, one hand moving the the whip on his belt.

Instinctively, Anna closed her eyes, knowing all too well that Desians were quick to punish. The Desian that was holding onto her suddenly loosened his grip, and a howl of pain could be heard. Anna turned around to see an odd white blur on top of the Desian, a growling noise from it. There was utter confusion in the next few seconds- The white creature was thrown off, the Desians reached for their weapons, then one of them fell down dead.

Benjamin scrambled onto his feet and ran in the opposite direction, but before Anna could warn him, he he bumped right into a Desian. Anna looked away at the small boy's scream, which turned into a gurgle of blood.

_Not again…_ Anna thought, resisting the urge to shut her eyes. She looked around though, realizing that there was a battle going on, though whom was fighting whom, Anna could not figure out. The white creature was now in front of her, growling at anything that got close. Upon a closer inspection, Anna noticed that it was dog-like, though its ears are a bit too long, and patches of green fur could be seen, even under the poor lighting conditions.

Kratos didn't expect to get into this kind of trouble. He parried a clumsy thrust and twisted his blade, forcing his opponent's sword to the side, and gave Kratos an opening which he took advantage of. One foot came up and kicked the Desian straight in the chest, knocking him backwards into another one of his comrades.

Kratos took a moment to look at Noishe, who was standing protectively in front of the girl. Kratos then went back to the fight, unleashing a series of skilled attacks and parries that the Desians found hard to counter. None of them has as much experience as Kratos, and quickly two of them fell to his blade. The remaining half-dozen or so cursed him and retreated back towards the Ranch. Kratos did not give chase, but turned back to face Noishe.

"Why did you do that?" Kratos whispered gently to the protozoan and Noishe only looked at the slain body of the young boy as a reply. Kratos understood well enough. Kratos then looked at the girl they had just rescued, the unmistakable shine of an exsphere on her hand.

Anna's eyes darted around nervously, unsure of the intension of the man that had saved her_. What is to happen to me now?_ She wondered.

"Um…thank you for rescuing me." She said shakily, noticing that the men was eying the gem on her hand. She was going to start to explain before she caught a glimmer on the stranger's right hand. He had one too.

Kratos didn't seem to notice her words though. He bent down and wiped the blood off of his blade on the grass, then deftly sheathed it.

"Come on Noishe." He told the Arshis, and Noishe obediently padded over to his side, both turning around, ready to leave.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Anna asked. How strange of this man to come and rescue her. She's not going to just let him run off without at least learning a bit about him. Kratos just shrugged in response, not even turning around to look at her.

"My name's Anna. Anna Irving." She said, pausing to see if the other would offer his own name.

"Kratos Aurion."

Anna was about to reply, before feeling suddenly very light-headed. She hadn't realized how tired she was from running. She wasn't in the best health after being in the Ranch for so long, and she swayed to the side a bit. Noishe spotted this and was quick to get to her side, letting the girl lean on him for support. Kratos noted this and realized that it wasn't the best idea to leave the girl by herself.

Anna closed her eyes as her vision suddenly began to swim, a racking pain in her head. She bent down on one knee, taking a steadier position as she tried to sort out her thoughts better. But exhaustion and the wounds she had suffered physically and emotionally finally caught up to her, and she fell forward -caught by strong arms- and lost consciousness.

--

Kratos sighed hopelessly. What trouble had he gotten himself into now? Noishe nosed the young girl, licking her ears and nudged the hand that held the exsphere. The desians were obviously going to come back with reinforcements. Desians never liked to keep an escaped prisoner unpunished.

Noishe moved away from the girl named Anna and into the underbrush, though Kratos knew he hadn't gone far. A few minutes later, Noishe returned with a limp figure on his back, looking up at Kratos expectantly. It was Benjamin. Kratos shook his head.

"That one's dead. There's nothing I can do." He said rather bluntly, and Noishe whined flattening his ears. Kratos shook his head.

"I told you Noishe. I can't do anything about that one." Another pleading look from Noishe made Kratos sigh. He knelt down beside the dog-like creature and inspected the young boy's injuries. As he expected, the small boy had no pulse, and his body was cold to the touch. Hardened by the many battles he had fought before though, Kratos didn't let any pain show through his face, even if there was no one around to see.

"Sorry Noishe." The Protozoan carefully lowered the body on the ground, watching the young boy mournfully. Kratos then looked at Anna. They can't leave her here, that's for sure.

"Noishe? Can you carry her?" Noishe padded to Anna's side and Kratos helped lift the girl onto Noishe's back. The three then quietly traveled back towards Luin, Kratos with his sword drawn.

--

"And you let her get _away_?" Kvar slammed his fist on the table, making the three Desian in front of him back away in fear.

"No sir! We had her! But then someone came and killed three of us and wounded many others. We didn't stand a chanc—" One of the Desian dared blurt out, but Kvar silenced him with a quick motion of his hands.

"There were eight of you that went after the two escaped host bodies correct?" The three in front of him nodded slowly, fearing Kvar's volatile temper.

"And there was the only one man with the sword?" Again, nods.

"With odds like that, do you not think that you would have defeated this man, who dared to defy the Desians?" The three were all silent now, and one of them looked uncomfortably around, obviously wanting to say something. Kvar noticed easily enough.

"Speak, one of you. Do you have any reason as to why you fled like cowards?" Kvar snarled.

"Lord Kvar! I might have been wrong…but I do believe I saw Lord Kratos and his pet. Please my liege, Lord Kratos's swordsmanship is well known throughout Cruxis, surely you can not expect us to stand up against him." He blurted out desperately. Kvar raised an eyebrow. Kratos? One of the four seraphim? There had been reports that he had left Derris-Kharlan for a bit.

"Are you sure?" Kvar asked, and the frightened Desian nodded.

"I have met with Lord Kratos once before. I am certain that it was him."

--

When the trio finally reached Luin, the sun had already broken over the horizon to the East. Kratos wasn't the least bit tired after missing a whole night's rest, though it was obvious that Noishe was struggling to stay awake.

Kratos brought out the small purse of gald he had brought with him, and knew that there wasn't much in there. Enough for the doctors at least, and a few days stay at the inn. Kratos had fixed Anna up the best he could, but magic could only go so far, and he couldn't do much more then seal the wounds on the surface.

People gave them odd looks as they passed, but nobody bothered to ask. Monsters have become way to frequent these days, the injured being rushed to the healer is not a rare sight anymore unfortunately.

"What had this poor girl been doing?" The Healer asked, checking Anna's pulse. Kratos shrugged.

"Found a few Desians chasing her. I would imagine that she escaped from the Ranch." He replied, scratching Noishe behind the ears. The healer cast the two a disapproving glance. Animals weren't allowed in here, but Noishe wouldn't have any of it. He howled and scratched and growled so much that the Healer finally gave up and let the Protozoan in.

"Bloody Desians. They'll get what's coming to them once the Chosen reaches here. They had just passed the House of salvation to the east a few days ago. Serve those freaky half-elves right when…" The healer continued to mumble about the Chosen, and Kratos winced at the mention of half-elves. It was attitudes like this that had driven Mithos to his current state.

"Here, give her a few apple gels –about two will do- every day for a while, and she should be fine. Make sure she's properly fed too, the poor thing's horribly thin. Also, see to it that she gets some proper clothing, catching a cold is the last thing she needs. Now will you and that weird dog please get out of here?" The Healer wasn't the nicest person around, but she had her uses. Anna was already conscious and walking on her own legs after leaving the hospital, though she needed Kratos for support.

"I grew up here." Anna mumbled to Kratos. It's been years since she had set foot in Luin, but it's the same as always. Kratos just listened quietly, leading Noishe behind him. Once they reserved a room at the inn, Noishe was fast asleep by the empty fireplace. Anna rested on the bed, while Kratos took a seat next to the window, watching the busy street below. Then he turned his gaze back on Anna.

Her clothing was a simple light dress, perhaps a light creamy-yellow before, but it was now gray and unrecognizable. There were holes in numerous places where the thin fabric had worn through, and and many tears that could easily be blamed on the edge of a weapon or the cord of a whip. Some of these had revealed half-healed wounds, though Kratos had healed most of them. It was amazing that the tattered dress was still intact.

Anna stirred and tried to sit up, leaning against the wall for support. She felt a lot better then before though, and was aware of Kratos looking at her. Raising her gaze, she examined her rescuer.

What struck her first was his eyes. They say that eyes are the window to your soul, and Anna saw countless years of knowledge in those brown orbs, filled with a profound sadness that hurt Anna. Kratos had been through a lot in his life, Anna knew.

"Is something wrong?" Kratos asked, aware that Anna was eying him strangely. Anna shook her head.

"It's nothing, just wanted to thank you again." She stammered, looking down reflexively. It was a instinct that she's developed in the Ranches: look down when spoken to. Desians seem to notice you less.

Anna suddenly realized how generous Kratos had been. Saving her from the Desians, paying for a healer and the inn. She looked up again and gave him a grateful smile. She felt something odd inside her as she looked at Kratos, something very confusing. She wondered what it was, though she knew that she liked the feeling.

Kratos resisted the urge to return her smile as he looked at Anna's dark blue eyes. She was looking at him oddly, a look he found uncomfortably familiar. After a bit of searching his memory, he realized why it struck such a familiar chord.

It was the same look Martel always gave Yuan.


	2. Chapter 2: Angels have Secrets

AN: Well, this was harder to write then I expected. I can't believe I actually have a plotline planned out, it's just so unlike me XD Anyways, Enjoy! Shining Bind, Chapter 2.

* * *

When Anna woke up, the sun had barely risen. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she wondered for a hazy moment why Desian weren't shouting at everyone to get up. It took her a moment to realize that she was on a bed, and it took even longer to remember what had happened.

"Ben…" She whispered, curling her hands into a fist. Yesterday, she hadn't been able to think properly, but now that she's rested, she couldn't help but lament the small boy's fate. Anna rolled over, watching the brightening sky through the window.

It wasn't until now that she realized her hopeless situation. Her whole family had been dragged off to other ranches, and Anna did not harbour the fantasy that she'll ever see them again. She had never finished school, and she had no friends that might still remember her that could take her in. Where was she to go now? She pushed away any self-pity she might have been harbouring, reminding herself that there were many that were more unfortunate than herself. Anna raised her right hand, staring blankly at the small blue gem on her hand.

The Desians had attached it to her when she was first brought to the Ranch. She wasn't sure what it was, but she could never get it off. Whatever it was, it can't be good if it has anything to do with the Desians.

"Desians…they'll get what's coming to them once the Chosen completes her journey." She whispered, but her voice was strained, as if she was trying to convince herself. So many Chosen's have failed…so many of them had perished before their journey was completed. Looking up, she noticed that Kratos was sitting on the other bed, his back against the wall. And he was looking straight at her.

"Oh…um…sorry. Did I wake you?" Anna asked awkwardly. Kratos shook his head.

"Not at all." Kratos replied. He had heard Anna's words, and it disturbed him to know that he was partially responsible for the Desians's existence. Perhaps if he had only talked Mithos out of it. Kratos closed his eyes and sighed. No, Mithos wouldn't have listened. He needed to make the exspheres to strengthen Cruxis, and he needed the Desians to wreak havoc on the declining world, to motivate the Chosen.

Anna saw that something was bothering Kratos, but she let it pass. Everyone had a sad story to tell these days, just some more then others. Anna respected the fact that she had not earned the right know of Kratos's past. Anna sat up and watched as the sun finally broke over the distant horizon out of the window. It's been a while since she had seen such a beautiful sight; the tops of the trees were golden where the light hit it, and dark contrasting black where it was shadowed. The sky was clear on this day, nothing to stop the light until it hit the earth below.

"So what are you going to do now?" Anna asked after a while. She turned back to look at the other in the room, who was now stroking a very content Noishe. Kratos looked up at the question, realizing that he didn't know the answer himself. Mithos would want him back at Derris-Kharlan any day now. How was he going to explain that to the girl?

"I'll stay for a while to make sure you recover, then I'll be on my way." Kratos replied. Noishe now padded over to Anna's bed, nudging her in the ribs. She giggled and let the dog –is it really a dog?- lick her hand, but she was still focused on Kratos. For some reason, she felt sorely disappointed that he was going to leave, perhaps never to meet her again. Anna looked down.

"Then…what of me? The Desians are going to come back for me, I know it. This-" Anna showed Kratos the gem embedded in her hand "- I know is somehow important to them. I don't know what it is, and every prisoner at the ranch is attached with one. The Desians have them too, but theirs have some sort of yellow metal on it, probably bronze or gold. I think mine's different from the others somehow. I think –_I know_ that they'll come after me for it." Anna tried to explain. She might be able to live in Luin, the Church of Martel would be able to take her in, but no one would even dare to protect her if the Desians demanded her back. Kratos suddenly got up and walked to her side.

"Let me see that exsphere." He demanded, and Anna could only guess that exsphere is what the odd gem was called. Kratos sat down beside her and examined the blue gem. It was different from a normal exsphere, and different from the Cruxis Crystal Kratos bore too.

"Are you…have you heard the Desian mention anything about the Angelus project?" Kratos asked haltingly. Anna looked at him with surprise.

"Yeah, it seems Kvar is leading it." Anna confirmed, starting to wonder why Kratos knew about the Angelus project. The Desians seemed very secretive about it, even inside the ranch. It seemed highly unlikely that anyone outside the ranches and Desian organization would know about it. Anna's gaze dropped to Kratos's exsphere, wondering if he had something to do with all this.

Kratos closed his eyes. The Angelus project was an effort to form Cruxis Crystals within a human body. There were about fifteen humans involved in this project as research subjects, and only two of them were held at the Asgard ranch. A010 and A012. A010 had perished a few years ago, so Kratos didn 't doubt that the girl in front of him had the Cruxis Crystal-to-be that was supposed to be offered to Lord Yggdrasill. The Desians will definitely be chasing her.

Anna knew that something was really bugging Kratos and gave him a questioning look.

"Is something the matter?" She asked. Kratos shook his head, although Anna knew that he was lying. He was hiding something.

If Kratos left Anna, the Desians are sure to come and find her. And when the Exsphere is removed from her, she'll surely die like all of the other subjects of the Angelus project. For some reason, Kratos wanted to protect her, this girl didn't deserve to die, he can't let her! But, Mithos would not approve of Kratos's actions, and Mithos was a dangerous enemy to make at the moment. Still, Anna's helplessness disturbed him greatly. He can't leave the innocent girl for the Desians to take. Especially not when he was responsible partly for her predicament.

"You won't be safe near the ranch." Kratos told Anna.

"It's best you leave Luin, perhaps find somewhere away from the Desians. I heard that Izood is too small and isolated for the Desians to care about." As Kratos said this, he already knew what he was planning to do. But he was unsure of his intentions, of why he was doing so much for Anna.

"I can't go. There are too many monsters around." Anna pointed out. Ever since the Chosen began her journey a few months ago, the number of monsters just skyrocketed. A few Desian guards had even been found half-eaten by the gate. Anna would never make the journey alive, especially if the Desians are chasing her.

"I'll go with you." Kratos responded, his mind already made up. He owed the girl for not trying to stop Mithos, owed Mithos for not protecting Martel. He knew that if Martel had heard that, she would have just smiled and told Kratos that he was putting too much blame on himself. Yet Martel would then blame herself.

Anna looked at Kratos oddly, though she could feel appreciation and joy swelling up inside her.

"But why? You barely know me." Anna had to ask. Kratos had already done so much for her. He only shrugged in response. That simple movement seemed so graceful to Anna.

"I have my reasons. We'll stay and let you recuperate for a few days first." Kratos responded. Anna suddenly threw her arms around Kratos in a hug, catching him off guard.

"Oh thank you! I don't know what I'd do without you." She whispered, not knowing how to show her gratitude. Kratos just sat there, stunned, unsure of what to do. Really, if a girl you barely knew sudden threw her arms around you like that, you would be very shocked indeed. Anna retreated, cleared her throat feeling suddenly very self-conscious and soon busied herself with Noishe, trying to ignore the blood that was rushing to her cheeks.

--

Kratos shouldered his pack, looking back to see Anna still packing. She had recovered very quickly in the past few days, and it had taken a lot of effort on Kratos's behalf to keep her in bed. No matter how well she was feeling, it was still obvious she was in no condition to be roaming around Luin . Especially since Desians had started getting more numerous. But little to none of the Desians could recognize him, and Anna rarely left the inn, so Kratos didn't worry about it too much.

They were getting ready to get to Izood. Kratos still hadn't figure out what he'd do. After making sure Anna made it to the small town safely, should he just go back to Cruxis?

For some reason, Kratos hated the idea of leaving Anna behind when the Desians are after her...Oh well, he has plenty of time to think it over later.

"Ready!" Anna called out in a cheerful voice, bending down to put on her own pack. There wasn't much in it, some blankets, a bit of dried food, a water skin, and a spare change of clothes. Anna had been quiet when Kratos first met her, but once she started to warm up to him, Anna was anything but shy.

"Well, c'mon! What'cha staring at?" Anna rushed downstairs with Noishe barking madly at her heels. With a faint smile, Kratos followed, looking back over the room one more time to make sure hedidn 't leave anything behind. Not that he brought that much stuff with him anyways. As the door slammed behind him though, he realized there was a commotion on the first floor.

"Let go of me you filthy Desian!" That was Anna's voice.

"Please sir, what is going on?"

"Shut up inferior beings. You're lucky we've exceeded our quota already this year, or we'd be taking you for hiding this wretch."

"I said _let go of me_!"

Kratos had already drawn his sword and was rushing down the hallway to the stairs. A few people poked their heads curiously out the door of their rooms, but had enough sense to stay put. If Desians were downstairs, then upstairs is definitely the safer place.

"We are looking for—ah, Lord Kratos. What a pleasant surprise." Kratos had grabbed the edge of the railings and jumped over it, landing on the bottom floor on both feet. A few people were sitting in chairs, all of them not moving, trying to do anything to not get noticed by the Desians. One of the Desians was holding Anna roughly by her left wrist. Kratos looked at them quickly, then noted that Kvar was amongst the crowd. It wasn't often that the Desian Grand Cardinal left his ranch.

"Let her go." Kratos commanded in a cold, venomous, voice, gesturing at Anna. Kvar watched him for a moment.

"I'm afraid I can't. This girl's exsphere is the result of years of painstaking research. We can't just let her run away with it. Besides, your presence is needed back at Derris-Kharlan. Lord Yggdrasil fears for your safety." Kvar replied in a mockingly polite voice. Kratos snorted. Yggdrasil? Care for his safety? Mithos only needed him now because of the origin seal. If Kratos were to die, the pact would be free for another summoner to make, as Mithos had broken his promise.

Kratos raised his sword slightly.

"I said let go of her." He repeated. Anna was looking at Kvar to him with a very confused expression. She could only conclude that Kratos was connected with the Desians somehow. She tried to break out of the Desian's grip again, twisting around to try to punch him in the face with her free hand. But another Desian had grabbed onto that wrist before it made contact.

Kvar looked from Anna, and then to Kratos again with an amused face.

"Leave her Lord Kratos. She is but a filthy human."

"I once was too." Kratos reminded Kvar quietly. He can't stand the Desian's talk about humans, too often do they seem to forget that one of the Four Seraphim was one. Kratos gripped his sword firmly, but he didn't dare do anything yet. They had Anna. Kvar was starting to get annoyed, it was plain obvious in the scowl that was now on his face.

"Lord Kratos, don't make this any harder then it has too. Take the girl back to the ranch." he commanded to the two holding Anna. They responded a quick nods, then started dragging her out the door. At least they tried to. Kratos made a move for them, but Anna reacted first.

Twisting around again, she bit the arm of one of the Desian holding her, with enough force to draw blood. He stumbled back with howling and cursing, leaving Anna free to punch the other Desian square in the face. It wasn 't a very powerful hit, but it caught him off guard, and Anna took the opening without hesitation, and aimed a kick at his groin. The other Desian backed off with a groan, clutching the area where Anna's foot had made solid contact with.

It took everyone else a moment to realize what had happened, but Anna was already out the door. Kratos sheathed his sword as he ran after her, the Desians still too shocked by the sudden turn of events to stop either of them.

"After then! Now!" Kvar screamed, and the Desians scrambled around the room, all heading for the door at once.

--

Kratos and Anna didn't talk to each other as they ran through the streets, weaving their way around people and merchants, and finally skidded to a stop in the midst of a very busy Marketplace. Both of them ducked behind a few barrels. Anna turned on Kratos.

"You're hiding something from me aren't you?" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm, but she couldn't help but feel like she had been betrayed somehow.

"Are you a member of the Desians?" She asked accusingly

"No." He stated simply. "Look, I know this is confusing. But you'll just have to trust me for now."

Anna stared at him, right into those deep brown eyes of his and sighed. She couldn't deny the sincerity of his words. And Kratos had done so much for her, and she had done barely anything to return his deeds. She knew she hasn't earned the right yet to know about Kratos's past, no matter how much she wants to.

"Alright. But if you expect me to trust you, perhaps you should trust me too." She sounded agitated, and the words hurt Kratos. _I do trust you...but you won't believe me _He thought to himself as they got out of their hiding place. There were no Desians in sight.

The two made it to the edge of the city without incident, though both of them were unusually quiet. They were met by a happy Noishe, who jumped and almost knocked Anna over at the sight of them. They soon started down the road to the west, it would eventually curve south and connect with the western continent. They were planning to stay at Hima along the way.

After a while, Anna broke the silence.

"So, how do you think the Desians found us?" She asked. It was a question that had been bugging her. The two didn't interact with many people, and the most they did was probably to buy the supplies they needed. So how could the Desians have figured out which inn they were staying at?

Kratos had been pondering the same question.

"One of the Desians could have recognized you." Kratos answered, knowing that Anna wouldn't be satisfied with the answer. She had barely gone outdoors during their short stay at Luin.

"Or you." Anna pointed out, and Kratos shrugged it off as though he didn't hear. Anna knew that Kratos had some connection to the Desians, he was just unwilling to say what. At least it doesn't sound like he liked them that much, Anna took comfort in that fact. Kratos wouldn't have protected her if he was working in league with the Desians, right? But she can't help but remember his knowledge of the Exspheres and Angelus project, the fact that Kvar had called him 'Lord' Kratos. Nothing really fits together, like a puzzle with missing pieces.

Kratos thought back about someone who might have tipped the Desians off. It gave him something to do other then worry about how Mithos will react.

"The Healer." Kratos finally realized. Kratos had mentioned to her that Anna had escaped from the ranch. She had been rather unpleasant to Kratos –mainly because of Noishe- and he didn't doubt that she would hide the information if the Desians asked. When Anna gave him a questioning look, Kratos shrugged.

"I told her that you probably escaped from the ranch. That's the only trail I can remember leaving behind." They would have to be careful of what they say from now on, if Yggdrasill was looking for him, he wasn't going to give up very easily. Not when he was the origin seal.

--

Kvar didn't give chase. He had only taken a few troops with him to retrieve the host body, he hadn't expected any trouble with Kratos. But the fact that he won't go back willingly will be a problem. Kratos was a formidable foe, and even Kvar can't claim to be more skilled then he in the art of battle.

Kvar paced around his study, thinking about this newly arisen problem. He turned around as the projector turned on, showing the form of Yggdrasill. Kvar bowed respectfully.

"And what do I owe the honor of your presence Lord Yggdrasil?" He asked, keeping his voice steady.

"I think you already know." Yggdrasil growled, not restraining himself to the level of politeness Kvar was showing.

"Ah yes. Of course. Kratos seems unwillingly to come back to us, and aided host body A012 in escaping." Kvar stood straight again, watching the projector.

"I know that Kvar! I want to know _why_!" Yggdrasil snapped with menace. Kvar shrugged.

"I do not know Sir, although I suspect…" Kvar trailed off, watching how Yggdrasil would respond.

"Spit it out already!" He didn't seem pleased with Kvar's patience games.

"I do believe that Lord Kratos had…how should I say it…_developed feelings for the girl_. He had probably learned about her role in the Angelus project, and is trying to protect her." Kvar was one of the few people who could stay calm in the presence of Yggdrasil when he's angry. Kvar knew his limits very well, and knew how far to go without crossing the line. Yggdrasil pondered his words for a moment.

"Humans…" He muttered, spitting the word out like a curse. He had always held respect for Kratos, as he had been the one who had taught him how to use the sword. He had promised Kratos that as soon as Martel walked this world again, he would return the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla to its original form. But to have him run off and fall in love with a human that held important research material?

"Remember, don't kill him." Yggdrasil growled at Kvar one final time before disappearing from the projector. Kvar leaned back against the wall, suddenly knowing what to do, a wicked smile on his face.

If Kratos liked the girl so much, let her be his downfall.


	3. Chapter 3: Kharlan's memory

AN: Sorry I haven't updated for a while. been reading Harry potter 7 and started a little funny fic about it. Also started writing a Kharlan fic. I shall be camping for the next 8 days. I'ma scout and it's the 100th b-day of scouting! Yup, Jamboree, ppl from all over the world are coming

So enjoy this chapter while I'm gone! Same disclaimer I made during the first chapter, and pretend i also did for the second chapter.

* * *

He never knew that the skills he had learned four thousand years ago would come in handy now. As the sun set in the west under some distant peaks, Kratos and Anna left the road and searched for a grove in which to camp for the night. A clearing was soon located, and it seemed to have been inhabited by perhaps other travelers in the recent past, as the remains of a fire could be easily seen in the center.

Anna struggled with the makeshift tent for a while before it was finally up, and Kratos returned soon with wood. Anna looked at it doubtingly.

"It rained hard yesterday. I don't think the fire's going to start very easily." She pointed out, sitting beside Noishe who was sniffing the pile of wood curiously. Anna's never really asked what Noishe was. Definitely not a dog or a wolf, I mean, green isn't exactly a natural fur color. But he was harmless enough, and seemed to have taken a great liking to Anna. She wasn't going to soon forget that he had helped her escape the clutches of the Desians. Kratos ignored her, kneeling down beside the wood, calling upon the mana of Efreet, a circle of angelic and elven runes suddenly glowing orange beneath him.

"Fireball." The glowing lines faded away as the wood suddenly burst into flames, cackling and dancing as if it had been alive for hours already. The warmth from the fire flooded the camp, and lit up the shadows between the trees, making them feel safe and protected.

"Was-did you…you can use magic?" Anna asked, watched the flames dance into the air, and sparks float off to freedom. The magical flame gave off little to no smoke, and Anna understood that it's to make it harder for the Desians to find them. Kratos merely nodded and sat back against a tree, his hand resting easily on the hilt of his sword.

"You should get some rest." Kratos told Anna after a while, watching the waning moon Tethe'alla shine above them. Anna crossed her arms across her chest.

"I've been resting for quite some time now." Anna said softly, watching Kratos from the other side of the fire. The heat was starting to be a little overwhelming and looked off to the side. Noishe yawned, padded off to Kratos's side and curled himself up by his feet.

"I see someone who definitely needs some rest though." Anna laughed, watching Noishe bury his snout under one foreleg. Kratos smiled, ever so slightly. Anna's laugh sounded wouderful, like honey in sweet water. How can he ignore the way his heart leapt every time he looked at the girl? Noishe opened one eye questioningly, watching Anna as if asking what she was laughing at.

"Still, it's late." Kratos told Anna. He was reminded of the countless times Martel had to persuade Mithos to go to sleep, and then how Yuan would have to to tell her to get some rest right afterwards.

"Well, if that's the case, shouldn't you be getting some rest too?"

"I don't need to sleep." Kratos shrugged helplessly. How on earth was he going to explain? Anna raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asked. She sounded curious rather then demanding as Kratos expected. Kratos looked up and their gaze met, the fire reflecting in both of their eyes, blue and chestnut brown.

She would understand. Anna wouldn't hate him for the cowardice he had shown, she wouldn't blame him for the existence of Desians, the fate of the chosen. Somehow, Kratos knew that she would understand his pain, his guilt, and the decisions that had weighed him down for so many years.

Kratos slowly stood up, and closed his eyes. Anna watched his curiously as the area around him glowed faintly –was that feathers? – and then a small flash of light. Anna blinked as she stared at the two pairs of blue transparent wings that flapped on Kratos's back.

"Holy Martel…" Anna whispered, and her tone was of wonder, not of fear. "Are you an Angel?" She asked. Kratos merely nodded, although he didn't seem very happy about it. Unless Anna's eyes had deceived her, she though that Kratos flinched at the world 'Angel'.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot." Anna said, smiling faintly. The blue wings vanished in another small flash of light, and Kratos once again sat down.

"I'd love to sleep, but I haven't been able to for four thousand years." Kratos admitted. There were a lot of times that he would lie awake during the night, trying to remember what sweet oblivion of sleep had been like. The enjoyment of eating for the sole purpose of sustaining oneself, not out of longing to remember what it had been like to be human. His wings marked him as a lifeless being, one who still had his heart and soul perhaps, but he was no longer mortal. He always wondered if he had done the right thing. To know that endless years stretched ahead of him, perhaps never ending, scared him. Though he no longer felt tired, and no long held back by the need of nourishment, he still can't help but feel he had lost something very precious. He had lived far beyond the time he had been given, what price must he pay for it?

"F-four thousand? By Mithos's soul, the Kharlan War was still raging so long ago!" Anna stared in disbelief. Noishe growled in annoyance, raising his head to stare at both of the humans reproachingly for disturbing his sleep.

"That's where it all started really. The Kharlan war." Kratos could hardly believe it, he was telling his story to Anna, and they've only known each other for a week or two. Anna sat back, an odd expression on her face. Kratos searched for where to begin, and started talking hesitantly.

"Back during the ancient war, I fought in the war as a soldier of Tethe'alla. No, not the moon, it was the name of a country back then." Kratos added at Anna's confused expression.

"Around the same time, Mithos, his older sister Martel, and their friend Yuan left the city of the elves. They were half-elves, and they were treated rather poorly." Kratos said this slowly, and expected the shocked expression on Anna's face.

"Wait! Mithos? The hero? His older sister is the goddess?" She asked. Kratos thought she was taking it in rather well.

"No, Martel was never a goddess, but she was kindest person I ever knew." Kratos paused for a moment, suddenly realizing why he felt so comfortable around Anna. The girl reminded him so much of Martel... "I'll explain that part later. The war was revolved around magitechnology, which had given both countries great power. That's how it started anyways, no one knew the exact details of why. But after five thousand years of battle, people are fighting for whole other reasons." Kratos pausing, remembering his life back then, a young man defending his country. How things have changed!

"The fact is that everyone's lost someone dear to the war, whether they be a mother or a brother or a close friend. The war was fueled on revenge then. For every live taken by the war, five are willing to step up and avenge that death. When I heard that my hometown was destroyed, along with my mother and my remaining sister, nothing really mattered much past fighting anymore. A few years later, my last remaining family, my brother, died and I almost did too." Somehow, the old wounds didn't reopen, he felt no pain at reliving the fate of the rest of the Aurion family. Four thousand years…has time really washed away the pain and memories so easily? Disconcerted, Kratos continued.

"I got injured and my comrades left me at the battle field. They thought I wouldn't make it. Martel and the others found me then as they stumbled across the remains of the battle. Martel insisted on nursing me back to health, and I traveled with them ever since." Kratos had unconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Anna looked perplexed.

"Why would anyone leave the wounded? Wouldn't they at least gather the wounded and bury the dead?" She asked. Kratos shrugged.

"Too much dead for them to keep track of I suppose, and the infirmary's full enough already without dragging in cases with no hope. Well, I traveled with the three. They seemed quite determined to find half-elves their own places, and Mithos finally made a pact with the summon spirit of Maxwell and formed the floating city of Exire."

Anna was silent, although she was bursting with questions. It was hard to take all of this in, although she believed in Kratos's sincerity completely. For some reason, she knew that she would never believe this story if someone else had told it to her. But she trusted Kratos.

"Finally, they thought that their journey was over. They did a great thing, and we tried to settle into the city they had built. But Martel fell unexpectedly ill, her Cruxis Crystal rejected her and was turning into her an exsphere."

Anna's hand shot to the small blue gem on her right hand.

"Cruxis Crystal? Isn't that what the Chosen is born with?"

Kratos nodded. "The Angelus Project is also an effort to make Cruxis Crystals from exspheres. I don't know much about it."

Anna considered her own exsphere, starting to feel very confused. Her exsphere was being made into a Cruxis Crystal? The holy stone that marks a Chosen?

"So we searched for a way to heal her. It took a while, but we finally found out what we needed and gathered the materials. Along the way we heard about Origin during our short stay in Heimdall. Once we cured Martel, we tried to find out way back to Exire but stumbled upon another battlefield. There was another wounded that Martel tried to heal, but in her weakened state couldn't save. Mithos decided that we have to end the war, once and for all. And that's when he remembered Origin."

"So we traveled back to Heimdall. From the pact that was made, the Eternal Sword was created. Mithos split the two countries of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla into two worlds, thus ending the war. But it was already too late then, as the Kharlan tree died as a result of the battles. Its seed was the only hope left, so we traveled to try and revive the seed." A hero, Kratos once been a hero. But now that he looked back on what they've done, everything seemed to have been just thrust upon them, and they had no choice but to fix the wrongs around them, until the wrongs were committed by themselves.

"We got intercepted along the way and Martel was killed by a human that we thought a friend. Me and Yuan killed him, but the damage was done. Her death destroyed the Mithos that we knew. Mithos grew up without knowing his parents, and had always been taking care of by Martel. She was a mother figure to him, and the loss was too much for him. Instead of reviving the seed, Mithos bound Martel's consciousness to the Great Seed and kept it in place with the summon spirits whom he had all made pacts with." Kratos sighed, closing his eyes. It had all gone wrong right there and then.

"Mithos established Cruxis, though we angels are nothing more then merely half-elves –and human in my case– evolved with Cruxis Crystals. Mithos then established the whole ritual of the Chosen, who were nothing more then vessels to receive Martel's soul. Mithos was obsessed with reviving Martel. The only Chosens that had ever succeeded ended up not being compatible with Martel's mana signature, and one of the world is always suffering and in decline. Currently, it is Sylvarant, the mana flowing from this world to Tethe'alla."

"The Desians are also a part of Cruxis, their sole purpose is to produce exspheres and to wreak havoc upon the declining world. As they are right now." Kratos wondered if Anna was looking at him with disgust right now, perhaps thinking him the monster that was the cause of her suffering in the Ranch.

"Recently, Mithos seemed to have taken Martel's last words quite seriously. 'I wish of a world without discrimination' was what she had said. And now Mithos wants to turn everyone into lifeless ebings –angels. Once everyone is the same, he thinks that discrimination will finally end. The fact is, exspheres need to take a life before they can be properly used. To make everyone lifeless beings would mean killing half the population. I didn't agree…so I came down here to think. I never expected to meet you though."

There was a silence, and even Noishe seemed to realize the importance of the moment. Anna's face was expressionless and deep in thought.

"So what are you going to do now?" Anna asked. This question caught Kratos off guard. He had expected Anna to ask him to prove what he had said, perhaps to tell him that he did a lot of wrong things, but his next step…

"I really don't know." Kratos answered honestly. He had never really thought about it much. Anna yawned, though trying to hide it. Undecieved, Kratos told her to go to bed.

"Alright then." She murmured and went over to the small shelter she had put up, consiting of a water-proof tarp draped over a rope spread between two trees. It wasn't much, but it'll keep away the rain and wind.

Kratos sat comfortably against the tree, scratching Noishe absently. It felt so much like the Ancient war again, when it was his shift to keep watch.

"Some thing stay the same quite well don't they Noishe?"

--

The next morning, Kratos was already making breakfast when Anna woke up. They didn't have dinner the night before, and Anna seemed to be cheered up quite well at the sight of food.

"Oh boy, I'm starved." She declared and downed her stew pretty quickly. Kratos watched her the whole time, until she finally put down her bowl and asked "Why are you staring at me like that for?" Though her voice was not unkind.

"I thought you'd have a lot of questions." Kratos merely replied, and Anna went back to her stew. After everything was packed up, they searched for the road and continued west.

"You're a pretty good cook." Anna commented as they strolled down the road.

"Thanks." Was his only response. It was still early, and mist covered the ground in a small layer that rolled out of their way as they walked through it. It obstructed everything on the ground from sight, and seemed to absorb all the twinkling light reflecting off millions of droplets of dew covering everything from head to toe.

As the sun rose higher, it dissipated the mist and lit everything up beautifully. Anna seemed unnaturally cheerful and seemed eager to take every sight in.

"It's been forever since I've been out of the ranch." Anna explained after Kratos finally asked what was up with her. "And it's so boring in the ranches. Stinks too, with so many Desians roaming around." Anna added half-jokingly, realizing that it was the first time she had mentioned the ranch since Kratos asked her about the Angelus project. It was a subject she thought that she would never want to talk about again, but it kinda just…slipped. Kratos was easy to talk to, she realized. From everything he's gone through, he could understand.

"So what are you going to do now?" Anna asked again, echoing the question she had asked the night before. Kratos hesitated, then looked her cerulean eyes. He had been thinking about it.

"I'm staying with you, and I'll make sure Kvar gets what he deserves if he decides to get even near us." He replied firmly. Anna returned his look and fidgeted uncomfortably. She finally understood now. He must be feeling the same odd emotions she did.

"Hey, is there any way to…I don't know, return the world to normal? If the two worlds are fighting each other for mana…is there any way to take that Eternal Sword thing and return them into one world? Then people won't be suffering like this." Anna suggested. She had been thinking it over before she fell asleep. Kratos seemed to think over it for a second.

"Mithos had always promised me that he'd return the world back to normal if I just cooperated with him. The eternal sword was made for Mithos you see, so only one with half-elven blood can wield it. I've have Aoinis in my blood but that doesn't make me a half-elf." Kratos explained, not caring to elaborate on the fact that he wouldn't be able to be the one to wield the sword even if humans could use it. Kratos's life was forfeit if anyone else made the pact.

Anna thought it over, but she knew little about summon spirits past that the art of summoning had been completely forgotten. In Sylvarant anyways.

Kratos however, brooded over the subject. There might be a way to override the pact, for a human to wield the sword. He had heard that certain techniques could be used to completely control the summon spirit's mana, but he wasn't sure if that would help break the seal around the Eternal sword and if it was even possible. But if he could reunite the two worlds, even at the cost of his own life, he might have finally found redemption. Perhaps fate had thrust Anna into his path to show him the horrors that people had to live through because he turned a blind eye to Mithos's way. Perhaps fate chose him end it all, when he had far outlived his allowed number of years.

That night, the two set up camp again, and Anna continued to pursue the subject.

"There's gotta be some way." Anna insisted. After hearing the true story behind the church of Martel, the Desians, and the reason she had been captured as a kid and forced into a ranch, she couldn't help but feel that she needed to do something to change it.

"I'll try." Kratos replied finally, staring into the fire. Perhaps this was fate's plan. There was only one question.

Did fate decide that he would succeed?


	4. Chapter 4: The Rose Blooms

AN: Oh my gosh, I haven't updated this in...uh...a year? I'm so sorry . This Chapter was freaking hard because I'm starting to develop Kranna stuff, but I've always been hopelessly hopeless with Romance. But it's not like I can write this story without romance right? XP Also, this is a bit more fast-paced than my past three chapters. i thought things went waaayy to slowly, and my writing's style's changed a bit. I've been gone for a year what didja expect?

Tales does not belong to me as much as I wish it did.

* * *

The following morning was rather uneventful. A quick breakfast, then they packed up the little amount of things they had brought with them. Anna shivered in the cold of the morning and drew her tattered dress around her to try to keep in as much warmth as she could. It was still early spring and her clothing was hardly adequate to keep her comfortably warm during the chilly hours of dawn and dusk. She wasn't one to complain- complaining was one thing Desians have beaten out of every prisoner at the Ranches- but Kratos noticed anyways. As they set off on the road again, Anna now wore Kratos' cloak.

One of their main concerns on the road was Noishe. The Protozoa was large and of an unusual colouring. Any other travelers on the road wasn't going to forget them easily. If Kvar worked a little to question passing merchants and pilgrims, they'd definitely pick up Kratos and Anna's trail. But there was little they could do short of sending Noishe away, and neither of them had even the faintest desire to do that. So they went on, acting as casual as they can whenever passing other people.

Because Anna was not in the best of physical condition, their pace was slow and leisurely. Anna found herself relaxing more and more as the journey wore on, the emotional barriers she had erected to survive the horrors of the Ranch starting to lower. Noishe trotted along happily beside her, holding his head high and proud. Noishe usually doesn't get along well with strangers, but Kratos noted that he seemed perfectly comfortable around Anna.

When the sun reached the climax of its journey, when shadows shrunk and some even became nonexistent, Anna realized that that she was starting to get hungry. She was about to call for a stop when she stepped on a rock jutting out of the road. She felt a pain in her right ankle as she tripped, and Anna instinctively thrust out both arms to pad her fall, closing her eyes.

She never did hit the ground, and as she looked up with confusion, she found herself supported by Kratos, both arms around her protectively. He seemed rather startled. Turning around and catching the girl was a natural reflex, one his mind hasn't registered yet. The two of them stayed in that position for several silent moments, each keenly aware of how close the other was. Anna had hugged him that day at the inn, but it wasn't like this. That had been a grateful gesture, a way for her to express her joy and relief.

"Are you ok?" Kratos asked softly, still holding Anna closely. She rested her head against his chest and nodded, comforted by the sound of his beating heart. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his body.

"Yes, thank you." She whispered.

She finally realized why she felt so safe around this man. Kratos was cold, logical, yet he had a sincere compassion- compassion that had Anna's life had been devoid of for many years. That was why she believed in him so strongly, why she didn't doubt him when he told her the truth.

The two of them stayed in the same position until a hungry Noishe finally jumped and effectively bowled the both of them over in his complaint of the lack of food.

--

"Yes! Finally!" Anna cried happily a few days later as they entered the town of Hima. She had feared that her ankle would give her trouble after tripping, but she didn't hurt it severely and it was perfectly fine an hour later, hindering their journey only a little. She still can't forget those moments she stayed in Kratos's arms, him keeping her close. Just the thought of it made her heart skip happily, and she had no doubts of her feelings now.

Noishe barking madly at her heels, Anna ran to the first person she saw to ask them where the cheapest inn was. She didn't mind camping, but a soft bed sounded like heaven right about now!

Kratos was a lot more quiet with his entrance. He surveyed the town quickly and sighed. The last time he had been to Hima was hundreds of years ago -Mithos liked to keep him on Derris-Kharlan as much as possible- and the town has definitely deteriorated over the years. Many buildings were in disrepair and had seen better days.

Mana depletion was getting more and more serious in recent years as Tethe'alla continues to advance in magitechnology, thus consuming more and more mana. This had worried Mithos of course, who's whole plan of separating the worlds was to revive Martel and prevent the development of Magitechnology.

That was why Mithos was considering sending Kratos or Yuan to accompany the next chosen of regeneration to make sure it is completed this time. If they reverse the cycle, then Tethe'alla will start to decline, forced to abandon Magitechnology and it will take Sylvarant many years to recover. A delicate balancing act that could threaten to overturn both worlds.

"Kratos! Stop standing there like an idiot and help me find a place to sleep!" Anna called back to the seraph when she noticed that he wasn't following. With a smile, Kratos joined the girl and they found an inn near the entrance of the town. After replenishing some of their supplies -food, gels, and some warmer clothing for Anna- the two settled down in the small room at the inn.

Noishe claimed one of the two beds and refused to get off. Anna plopped down on the other, thoroughly enjoying at last the feeling of a springy mattress beneath her. She was exhausted and looked forward to a few days of rest at Hima.

"Hey, we're not going to stay at Izoold are we?" Anna asked, watching Kratos take a seat by the window.

"That would depend if the Desians catch up with us or not." He answered, looking down at the streets below. As the sun began to cast a bloody light over the mountain, the citizens of Hima began to retreat to the safety of their homes. The Tower of Salvation could be seen in the distance.

He was rather absent minded at the moment. He had no doubt that what he was doing is right, but he couldn't help but let his mind wander back to Mithos. He would not be happy, and Yggdrasill wasn't someone you could provoke without consequences. Say he and Anna did get caught by the Desians? Anna would be dragged back to a ranch again or killed- Kratos didn't know what was worse. Mithos'll confine him to Derris-Kharlan and possibly take back the deal he had made Kratos so long ago- the deal of returning the world to their original state if Kratos would cooperate.

Back then, that was all he needed. But now that he has seen the sorry state Sylvarant was in, the suffering of the people at the hands of the Desians...no, there was more then to simply just reunite the two worlds now. It wasn't enough, he had to do more for these people, he couldn't depend on Mithos.

"Hey, you forgot what you promised already?" Anna asked with a sly smile. Kratos blinked, what promise?

"You said you'll try to find a way to reunite the two worlds didn't you? We won't be able to do that sitting around Izoold!"

Ah, that.

Kratos thought about it for a moment. If there was a way he'd be able to reunite the worlds without Mithos's help, and save the worlds from their current situation, he would gladly do it. They'd need the Eternal sword though, which means they need to make a new pact with Origin, and somehow circumnavigate the condition of the previous pact- in which only a half-elf could wield it. Kratos wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that he would die as a result of the pact being made, as long as he can assure the success of the plan. But to get around the old pact...

Kratos knew more about summoning than many people, but he was still not completely clear about everything there is to it. And if they are to attempt this, the more they know, the better. Kratos explained all of this to her -leaving out the part about his life being the seal of Origin-, taking quite a long time since he had to fill her in on the background information he knew. By the time he finished, the only light in the room came from a flickering lamp beside Anna, casting everything in rich shadows.

Anna considered it all carefully.

"We can check Palmacosta. They have a rather large library there." She finally suggested. Kratos thought it over. The art of Summoning has long ago been forgotten in Sylvarant, but there might still be records somewhere that might mention something useful. There are always books written in the elven language. Very few remain in Sylvarant who can still read that ancient Language, even the remaining elf population, and there might be something important written in there. Kratos was not fluent, but he knew the elven language to a certain degree and it was somewhat similar to the angelic language.

"We can take a ship there from Izoold, so our destination is still the same." Kratos finally answered. He didn't have too much hopes of finding anything, but he had to try. "Get some rest."

Anna slid under the covers, watching Kratos who resumed to his staring out the window. Anna kept her gaze on him for a few moment before lying down and staring at the ceiling. She could never get used to the fact that Kratos couldn't sleep, didn't need to eat, and the general lack of mortal needs.

Yes, it was because of this that made their journey much more bearable- he could keep watch at night and they only needed to bring food for one person and Noishe, though the protozoa usually caught himself a rabbit or something to eat.- but she felt by now the regret Kratos had about his status as an Angel. He never drew out his wings after that time he explained to her what was going on in the worlds, and always seemed to flinch at the mention of the word 'angel'.

Anna understood that the loss of his mortality was something Kratos still hasn't come to terms with yet- and perhaps never will. Anna closed her eyes as she turned on her side, the last thing she saw being the glittering of her exsphere. It must be horrible, to have lost what it meant to be a human, and Anna would be reminded of her companion's pain constantly throughout their journey.

_--_

Their short stay in Hima passed faster than Anna could comprehend. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, she and Kratos were packing everything up and preparing to move out again. The journey from Hima to Izoold was nearly twice the length of the trip from Luin to here, so they have to bring more provisions with them. The path to Izoold was less well traveled, which meant good news in the form of them having less chance of encountering someone who would tip off the Desians, bad news in the form of more aggressive monsters.

They set out westwards, following the Hima Mountain chain. The trail became steadily less worn as they went on, and a few days later, as they turned southwards, the path was almost nonexistent.

Monsters watched them from a distance, but even the dimmest of them recognized the confident stride of an experienced warrior in Kratos, so most stayed away. Noishe alone was larger than half the monsters living in the areas. Between the two ancient heroes, Anna was quite well protected. The few monsters that did dare venture nearby were dealt with quickly, effectively, and without a second glance.

After following the shoreline for a week, they finally set foot in the small town of Izoold. By then both Noishe and Anna were utterly spent and exhausted, and both were cheered up considerably by the sight of the fishing town.

Anna and Kratos had discussed their plans and had decided to stay at Izoold for a month or two before setting out. It will take the Desians a while to pick up their tracks to this insignificant town, and they can use that time to relax and rest. They would also have to save up on the Gald needed to get a ship to Palmacosta, since the small amount that Kratos had brought with him when he first descended upon Sylvarant was nearly gone.

People cast them curious looks as they entered Izoold. The small town rarely got any visitors over land, as the nearest town of Triet was over the mountains and across a desert. The other path here was a very long journey from Hima, and crawling all over with monsters. So seeing such a small group come was a bit of a surprise. The people of Izoold minded their own business though, none of them bothering to ask the trio about themselves, so they were left in peace.

As the two of them settled down in the Inn, Anna -instead of sitting down on the bed immediately like she always did- went to stand beside Kratos as he took his position by the window once more, watching the ocean with his keen eyesight, picking out details normal humans would not have been able to in the darkness. Anna found herself leaning against him, enjoying his presence.

"Thank you so much, for everything." She whispered. Kratos looked down to regard her curiously. Anna straightened herself and broke away from Kratos, leaning against the wall now. She took a moment to find her voice again.

"You don't truly understand what you saved me from do you? Those ranches robbed everything from its prisoners. Our hope, our freedom, our dignity. I had to no reason to believe I would ever get out alive, or even enjoy a single happy moment for the rest of my life. I felt so helpless, everything was so meaningless..." Her voice choked as she fought tears back. She had spent so long locking those memories away, trying to forget the life in which she wasn't even worth calling a human being. "It didn't really matter anymore when I tried to escape with Ben. I was desperate, but I really had no thought of getting out alive."

Anna once again leaned over against Kratos, this time wrapping her arms around the Seraph. He didn't mind, and put one arm around her small frame, holding her close.

"But here I am. The first time in so many years, I think I'm free. I have control over my own life, I can think for myself." Wiping away the few tears she had shed, she smiled. "Thank you so much Kratos, I can never say that enough."

Kratos never really thought about it, about what it must have been like for Anna. She had lived half her live at the Asgard ranch, treated like dirt, stripped of any pride she had. It was amazing that the girl standing before him now was the way she is, so determined to take matters into her own hands. She truly was a strong girl.

Her next words caught him completely off guard, yet not unpleasantly.

"I love you Kratos." There, she said it. She had no doubts about it and she wasn't afraid. She truly loved this man, who had shown her so much kindness, even if he was not aware of it himself. Anna stayed in Kratos' arms for many long moments, and from his relaxed grip she knew that he returned her feelings. At that moment, nothing else seemed to really matter anymore.

"It's getting late." Kratos finally whispered, and she reluctantly nodded. As the two of them broke away, both felt their hearts beating a bit faster than usual. As Anna got ready for bed, Kratos looked back out the window, trying to gather his emotions. He had suspected the bond between himself and Anna for a while now, yet for her to say it out loud, to suddenly turn it into something tangible, to pin a name on it...

Love, it was a frightening prospect yet at the same time...

--

Kratos watched the waves crash against the side of the boat and seagulls flying overhead. The dark purple outfit he had on at the beginning of this all was now replaced by a simple black sweater and a dark pair of pants. He stood out less this way, and let's face it- it was a lot more comfortable too. His sword hung loosely on his belt, and hadn't been drawn since their trip to Izoold. Something threw his appearance off though, and it was a bow and quiver hanging across his back.

Well, the reason for that was quite simple. He found a temporary job protecting one of the small fishing vessels of Izoold for the past two months. Any large creatures that the fisherman did not want was easily dissuaded with an arrow or two, but a sword proved worthless from the decks of the ship. And while Kratos is not an exceptional Archer, he's been trained in the use of a bow during his stay in the army back in the Kharlan War.

Izoold could be seen above the waves now, the fishing vessel now heading back to port. This would be the last night Kratos and Anna would stay in this small town. Rumours spread of Desians heading this way and the two had no intentions of getting caught by them. Everything was prepared now, they had packed everything, and the ferry heading to Palmacosta tomorrow was all set. Everything went better than either Kratos and Anna could have dared to hope. They had thrown the Desians off their course quite effectively, and even now they weren't sure if the Desians were actually here for them or for other matters. But it was still better safe than sorry.

As the ship docked, Kratos waited patiently for the sailors to take care of what needed to be done to secure the boat before they could get off. Anna was waiting on the dock as usual and waved to Kratos the moment she saw him. He smiled as a response, waving slightly back to her.

Anna hugged him tightly as Kratos was finally on solid ground again. When they got back to their room at the Inn, all of their things was stashed in a corner, neatly packed. Noishe perked up the moment he sensed them coming and welcomed the two back with wet kisses and mad barking, just like a normal dog would.

"So you think we'll find something?" Anna asked as they finally settled down, and her topic was obviously about the Palmacosta Library. She stroked Noishe absently, the protozoa curled up beside her.

"To tell you the truth, no. The art of Summoning has long been lost from this world. But that doesn't mean there can't be something that could help us." Kratos once again settled next to the window, a habit of his that wouldn't break anymore.

"Well, anything's better than nothing. Good night Kratos." Anna leaned over to blow the candle out, and Kratos took a few minutes to adjust his eyes to the sudden dark. Noishe decided then to go to the side of his ancient friend and sat in front of Kratos. He regarded the seraph with intelligent eyes, eyes that showed how different he was from a monster or animal. There was understanding, empathy, and a sparkle in those eyes, yet he had the carefree innocence of his animal blood. Noishe had been a close friend for many years.

"You see it in her too don't you?" Kratos whispered softly. Noishe blinked and closed his eyes in contentment as Kratos ran a hand through his silky fur.

"That love of live, that untainted innocence...and such strong determination." Kratos looked back at the bed where Anna was now fast asleep and smiled. How could he not feel that fate had brought the two of them together? They met under such hard circumstances yet the two of them were kept together by a bond they hadn't realized back then.

"She's not a stranger to you is she Noishe?" Kratos understood now why Noishe seemed to like Anna so much, when he normally distrusted anyone he didn't know. "She's a lot like Martel."

Kratos turned back to look at Noishe, who seemed to understand every word. And he probably did, Noishe was, after all, one day going to evolve into a human. The protozoa gently nudged Kratos and curled up at his feet. The seraph once more let his gaze drift back to the women that had entered his life so suddenly mere months ago.

"I love you too Anna."

* * *

AN: Pfft, told you I was hopeless with romance. Unfortunately, I'll have to thread this type of thing in and our of the story until the very end. Just bear with me ok? XP If you see any Spelling mistakes, grammatic mistakes, sentences that were hard to understand or typos, please tell me alright? I edited this right before I had to run to a camp so i might have missed some things.


	5. Chapter 5: Found it, Lost it

AN: Wow, half way through the story already. But then again, I spent like...a year writing this...ehehe, I apologize for my ridiculously long hiatus once again.

Tales does not belong to me, blah, blah, blah, they belong to Namco, blah blah blah, and the usual stuff.

* * *

Their stay in Izoold did wonders for Anna, physically and emotionally. She finally felt relaxed for the first time in several years, and began casting away a lot of the behavior she has adapted to survive at the ranch. She no longer flinched at the mention of her name, or quiver at the touch of others. She was no longer afraid to speak, even when not asked to speak, and she enjoyed that new freedom greatly. Memories of the ranch still haunted her, but they became weaker and weaker by the day, and soon lost its hold over her. The only habit she hasn't been able to shake off was her tendency to look at the ground when spoken to -and even that was slipping away. Especially when it is Kratos who was the speaker- it was hard for her _not_ to look into those dark brown eyes of his and find comfort.

And of course, after the first proper bath in years -you know, with _warm_ water and soap- she looked a lot better as well. Her hair no longer seemed like strangled straw, and- well, she just looked better overall. You would too right? It's not like the Desians cared about keeping the prisoners clean except the occasional times to keep the smell at the ranch bearable. It didn't help much though, there were always some prisoners who died without being noticed for...well, quite a long time.

And in total, Anna felt better than she has ever been. Especially now, next to her companions.

Most ships didn't travel the vast distance between Izoold and Palmacosta, but there was always the occasional merchant who risked the dangers to access the cheap fish caught in this region. One such merchant and his ship was loaded and prepared to sail back to Palmacosta, and agreed to take Kratos, Anna and Noishe along for a small fee and protection from the monsters of the water.

Anna didn't particularly enjoy being on the water much and found herself sitting in the cabins for most of the time. After being confined to a small cell for so long...well, the wide open sea just felt too big, too open. Even when she knew that it was a silly feeling, that she should be happy there's so much freedom, she was still frightened of the possibilities- not that she'll show it. Anna has perfected her ability to hide her emotions and thoughts, a precious skill to have when Desians are walking by, and you can't help but think of the most hideous things that could happen to them.

She now lay on the bed she had spent most of the voyage on, though she couldn't get much sleep through the whole thing. With all the rocking back and forth, she was surprised she didn't roll off and hit the floor every night.

Anna held her right hand above her, examining the small gem in her hand. She still remember when they had first attached this onto her, so long ago. Has it been ten years already, that she had spent imprisoned? She wasn't too sure, but she remember that day as the day she arrived at the Asgard ranch keenly. She had been a lively girl, and gave the Desians a lot of trouble. She did everything in her power to make it difficult for the hated things that had taken her family away.

The Desians would have killed her and be done with her right then and there, but a measuring of her mana signature showed them that she would be the most compatible for the Angelus project. With her own signature very similar to Lord Yggdrasill's, an exsphere formed with her life would accept Yggdrasill as the master more readily than one made from another. So they kept her alive, they had other ways of keeping her quiet after all. Anna winced subconsciously as she remembered how the Desians had beaten the will out of her. After a while at the ranch, nothing had seemed to matter anymore.

Anna stare stared at the forming Cruxis Crystal, which was now half-embedded in the back of her hand. Veins twisted around it and the skin deformed, her body struggling against the intrusion but losing. She's seen people who's lives were taken by these stones, as it fed off of them, but they usually lasted a year.

But Anna was still alive, and she still felt quite strong. She knew there was something different about hers, but was that a good thing or a bad thing?

She let her arm drop to her side again and stared at the bunk above her. She grinned as she saw a familiar black sweater dangling unceremoniously off the edge. Kratos was surprisingly unorganized and tended to leave things lying around, a habit that would have been the end of him if not for that godly memory of his.

"Miss, we're reaching Palmacosta within the hour. I assume you're packed and ready?" Someone asked, sticking his head into the room. Anna nodded in return. Once the man was gone, she stood up, looked for her shoes, and found Noishe batting them around playfully on the other side of the room. Once she got herself ready, she looked at Kratos's bunk for a moment with an amused look on her face. Along with the sweater slowly slipping off the bed, his sword belt and sheath was half-buried under a jumble of bed sheets, and his quiver lay over it all. Thank goodness they didn't have much stuff or it'll take forever to tidy.

Spending a few moment to stuff it all except his sword into their bag, she slung it on her back and headed upstairs towards the deck. Kratos's sword was held easily in her hand, even though just a few months ago the mere presence of any weapons nearby would have made her nervous and recoil.

Once she reached the deck, she took a moment to gather her bearings. The sun was starting to set, leaving a glorious orange glow on the sparkling surface of the water, which was calm because of the lack of wind at the moment. Without Sylph's help, the ship had been traveling rather slowly this day, but they didn't lose too much time. They were suppose to have arrived around noon, but no one expected such an accuracy with time. A small dark dot was visible on the distant horizon and Anna figured it to be Palmacosta's docks.

"Hullo Kratos." She told the auburn-haired man as she saw him. She threw his sword to him, the sheath still belted on, and Kratos caught it without even looking back. That hearing of his can be quite amazing sometimes, especially when paired with that lightning reflex. She settled next to him as he belted his sword on. Anna leaned on the rail and looked down at the water doubtfully. She shuddered for a moment and took a step back, closing her eyes. No, she didn't enjoy the boat too much, it was just hard to believe she was actually floating on water. It shouldn't be such an unbelievable thing, but Anna found it hard to wrap her mind around it. She cursed her isolation from the outside world for so long and realized Kratos was watching her.

She blushed slightly, and stared down at her toes. She still didn't understand what made her slip those few months ago, when she had told Kratos what she suspected was the true nature of her feelings towards him. She had let her emotions -especially the sheer relief of finally being freed from the ranch- get the better of her probably.

Kratos looked back to the water, hiding his smile, although he only knew half of what was on Anna's mind. Anna had repeatedly announced her dislike of traveling on the water, and spent most of her time below deck for the whole journey. Kratos had found this odd, as Luin owed much of its existence to the Luin River for transportation and trade.

"Oh, I don't mind the water really." Anna told Kratos and the seraph started, not realizing that she had moved right beside him. He doesn't remember when he's ever been caught so unaware before, and this puzzled him. Anna looked out at the ocean as the ship slowly entered the Palmacosta docks, leaning against Kratos.

"It's just such an open place. It's kind of frightening, I didn't know the world could be so big. But I'll get used to it." She turned to look at Kratos and smiled, and he couldn't help but return it.

--

Anna slammed the book she was reading shut. She sighed, leaning back in her chair and looked around the Inn room blankly. She was determined to do _something_ to aid her dying world, but she found it hard to concentrate on reading. It turned out that Palmacosta had recently been busier and busier with desian activity. The Governor-General, Kieth, opposed the Desians greatly and was the only reason Kratos and Anna hasn't decided to leave Palmacosta.

Noishe looked quite bored, curled up on the bed with his head resting on his paws. It's been a week since they arrived at the city, and Noishe has barely been outside since then. Anna sympathized with Noishe, but he was just too noticeable. They couldn't let him out, especially when so many Desians were wandering around. The Protozoa stretched and rolled over on the bed, right on top of the bow that Kratos had used for the past little while and began to gently gnaw on it.

"Don't do that Noishe." Anna scolded him, getting up to pull the bow away. Noishe just yawned and looked at her with half-closed eyes. Anna couldn't hide a smile, the Arshis's expression was just so human-like.

Noishe suddenly perked his head up, nose sniffing the air. For a moment Anna thought that perhaps Noishe sensed Kratos coming back from the library, but that notion was dismissed as the protozoa growled, hair bristling. He leaped off the bed and faced the door, muscles tensed in preparation to pounce. Anna was now quiet, and heard hard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Anna looked at Noishe for a moment, then decided she trusted the Protozoa's judgment and looked around for a weapon. She saw the bow, hesitating for a moment and grabbed it just as someone banged on the door.

"By the order of Lord Magnius, open this door at once!" Came a cold, threatening voice. But he couldn't have chosen a worse thing to say, as the name Magnius registered immediately in Anna's senses as a Desian leader. Her following actions were based purely off of panic-stricken instinct as she clumsily knocked an arrow and struggled to pull the string back.

"Please come back Kratos, please come back." She prayed under her breath as she stared at the bow hopelessly. She could barely pull it back about the quarter of the way she's seen Kratos drawn it. The draw weight was simply just too much for her weak physique, and the bow itself was surprisingly heavy as well. Before she could find anything else to defend herself with, the door shot right out of its hinges into the room, forcing Noishe to jump out of the way. The remains of the door frame smoked slightly, the floor outside blackened. They had blasted their way in with Ifreet's mana.

One desian tried to enter the room but was promptly bowled over by a green-silver furball of fury, and Noishe wasted no time in clamping his powerful jaws down on the half-elf's neck. The desian struggled for a moment until his neck cracked and knew no more. But before Noishe could prepare to defend himself, a different desian went with a straightforward tactic and cleaved his sword downwards towards the Protozoa's head. Noishe stumbled backwards and nearly avoided decapitation but lost his balance. As he worked back to his feet, a different desian had entered the room and was now threatening Anna against the tip of a sword.

"It's her alright." The desian confirmed to his companions when he noticed a blue sparkle on Anna's right hand. She quickly covered it with her opposite hand but that gesture only made it more obvious. With her heart in her throat and fear starting to override her common sense, she was desperate for some way out of this. She wanted Kratos here, he would be able to get rid of the Desians and protect her, he would be able to keep her safe. Holding back tears, she shook her head and took a step back.

"I'm not coming with you!" She yelled at the Desian, and she realized she hasn't lost control over herself in such a long time. Before, she didn't care what would happen, but now she denied the possibility that she might have to once again spend her life at the ranch. She had something now that she didn't have before, something that was the most precious thing a person could have, something she never had the possibility to loose before because she had none: her freedom.

Noishe fought fiercely and his skills surprised the Desians who knew not of the training Noishe had been through. Protozoas were popular warriors in the Kharlan war, and Noishe had fought alongside the swordsman Kratos before he had even reached adulthood. But the simple truth is that he hasn't been able to stay in shape for many years, and he just couldn't possibly hold back so many armed opponents at once. He found himself dodging more than striking, the half-elf's superior range with their weapons giving them an advantage. The Arshis yelped as a sword drew blood from his hind leg and Noishe collapsed under the injury.

The Desians ignored him, only one stopping to stick his spear into the poor creature. Noishe's painful howl soon died down to a pitiful whimpering and he slowly closed his eyes.

Outraged by the sight of one of her close companions wounded so, Anna found a sudden burst of strength and somehow angled herself right to kick the Desian grabbing at her in the gut. The Desians swore and fell back, clutching his injury and Anna jumped at him, wrestling his sword from him. As she got shakily back to her feet, the stunned desian laid on the floor, moaning. Anna saw that others were coming for her, none of them looking all that worried. To them, the main threat was already defeated- and the dog was not so great an opponent. They were all thankful that Lord Kratos was not present and it was a good thing for the Inn keeper that he had not been mistaken.

"What are you going to do you miserable wretch? Kill him?" One of the desians asked, thinking to enjoy himself for a moment. Anna blinked for a moment and realized that the desians was talking about the man by her feet. For one moment, all the hatred she had built up over the years for these evil desians screamed at her to finally take revenge, to drive this sword -so awkward in her hands!- through him and make him suffer for all the wrongdoings he must have inflicted upon other humans.

But she hesitated, and that one moment allowed the desian to finally gather his wits. He twisted around deftly so that he was on his feet again, though crouched down, and easily disarmed Anna. He didn't bother being too gentle with her and slammed the hilt of his sword into her back angrily and hard. That knocked the wind out of her, and she stumbled forward, none of the desians bothering to catch her.

The one that Anna had downed stared at the others with hatred. Easy enough to understand why- they had left him at the mercy of one of the inferior beings. He sheathed his sword and left the room angrily, kicking aside the arm of the dead desian Noishe had killed. Everyone else shrugged, grabbed Anna roughly and proceeded to drag the struggling woman out the room.

--

"Stop!" Keith demanded as they watched the desians push the poor women along. He rushed to them angrily. The street was empty- everyone had left the moment they saw desians approaching.

"You're not authorized to simply charge in here and grab people!" He glared at the desians as they finally stopped walking. Behind Keith walked his son Dorr and Dorr's wife, Clara. They were heading back home after settling some disputes at a local shop. Apparently the Desians had taken away a lady named Marble, and had caused quite a stir. Alright riled up because of that, Keith found it hard to contain his anger seeing such a young girl being so mistreated by these "creatures".

"I'm sorry you filthy worthless thing, but I do not think your orders rank above those of his Lord Magnius'." The desians casually explained, and a few of them exchanged evil, knowing grins. Keith unfortunately, did not catch on and placed both hands on his hips.

"I'm afraid I'm still in charge of this town whether you like it or not and-" Whatever Keith wanted to continue to say was caught off as one of the desians impaled the man with his sword.

"I'm afraid Lord Magnius no longer wants to deal with your miserable existence. We had orders to kill you and be done with it." He told coolly to the dying man. Dorr rushed to his father frantically, but turned around as he heard Clara's screams. Two desians had grabbed onto her, and one was putting a small shining stone on her hand.

As this was happening, the remaining desians grabbed hold of Anna once again and began walking calmly towards the exit of the city. Anna now found herself crying, silent tears flowing forth. She hasn't shown such weakness in many years, but the emotional barriers and protections she had raised for so long had been broken down by her few months of peace and happiness.

The most horrible thing was to be given hope, only to have it crushed.

"I beg you Martel, please, please, have him come for me. Please let Kratos find me."

--

Noishe limped painfully along, ignoring all the curious and concerned looks directed his way. His vision swam and he was barely conscious, but somehow he found the strength to put one paw in front of the other. In the air he could sense the scent of his master, and continued along, following it towards the library.

"Noishe!" he heard a familiar voice, and someone knelt down in front of him. Noishe looked up weakly at Kratos's concerned face and whined. The seraph didn't care who saw at that very moment, drawing in the mana of Luna and Aska, shaping them with an incantation. A magic circle began to glow under him, angelic and elven runes glittering, and he released the spell.

"Healing wind." A green light drifted in a circle around Kratos and his faithful companion, the magic rushing to Noishe's wounds and sealing them. A gentle wind swept around as well, refreshing anyone in the vicinity, though most of the healing power was channeled to the Protozoa. Noishe shakily got to his feet, feeling the strength return to him. He looked up at Kratos then turned around and bounded towards the Inn.

Kratos didn't hesitate in following him, the books he had been bringing back from the Library forgotten on the ground.

--

Kratos and Noishe sprinted out of the town at full speed. The two ran as fast as they could down the road, in the direction of the Palmacosta ranch. The innkeeper had confirmed Kratos's fear.

Damn it, he hadn't been careful enough. He had assumed that the desians knew not their whereabouts but he was apparently wrong. He shouldn't have been so careless, something must have tipped them off!

He felt fear, an emotion he had seemed to lost so long ago. The fear for himself had faded away over the years, but he now feared for the safety of the girl that had been thrust into his life, had become such a big part of his life.

He didn't even notice that he had taken out his wings, now gliding just off the ground, going just that little bit faster. Noishe kept up beside him, though his injury slowed his normal pace. Kratos never really did stop and think about what would happen, what he would do, when he did reach the Palmacosta ranch, where hundreds of desian soldiers dwelt, all of them well trained.

Perhaps if they're lucky, they'll catch up to Anna before they reached the ranch.

* * *

AN: There's a very important reason why I need Kratty and Anna at a desian ranch, so as pointless as this chapter seems, it won't be. From the next chapter on, the second half of this story commences


	6. Chapter 6: Follow Me

AN: Huh, wow, it's been nearly a year since I've last updated this. But like I promised, I will finish this. Don't be fooled if I'm gone for a long time ok? ;) Alright, I'm starting to set up the rest of the story with this chapter now.

Enjoy, Chapter 6: Follow Me.

* * *

Anna struggled for a long while, trying everything she could to jerk herself out of the Desian's grasps. But it was no use, she was weak, and the Desians were strong. They barely noticed her desperate pulling, her trying to dig her heels into the ground. They soon joined in with a larger group of Desians, who had been sent to collect more victims to bring back to the Desian ranch.

The camp had been set up by a minor road to Palmacosta, one that cut directly east of the continent, and followed the eastern shore north to the ranch. The area was clear of trees and underbrush, with rolling grassland spreading out on all sides. The camp itself was made on a small rise in the grassland, with the Desians all stationed in a circle around the captives from Palmacosta.

The Desian who had practically dragged Anna here by the arm shoved her roughly into the group of frightened looking people. They ranged from all ages, the youngest looking to be barely in her teens, while the oldest was a man well into his sixties. Anna staggered, trying to keep her balance while not tumbling into any of the people at the same time. The Desians didn't allow her that luxury though, giving her another rough shove towards the ground. The group parted to avoid being fallen on, and she would have landed roughly on the grass if a young man hadn't rushed forward to catch her.

"That's no way to treat a lady!" He growled at the Desians, moving in front of Anna protectively as one of the Desian's hand twitched towards his whip. There was a determined glint in his eyes, as if daring the Desian to punish him for speaking out of turn. He looked to be in his early twenties, of average height, with a slim but sturdy build. His entire body was rigid, as if expecting the Desian to lash out.

The Desian turned away though, knowing there was more important things than to discipline the inferior beings. They'll learn their place in the world soon enough. He took a note of the man though, determined to teach him a lesson once they reach the ranch. He relieved another Desian of guarding the prisoners.

"Thank you." Anna murmured to the man who had helped her out, after she was sure the Desian wasn't going to turn around and whip them all. She noticed an empty sheath belted at the man's hips, and an empty quiver strapped across his back. He turned around to face her, and exhaled deeply. She only just noticed that he had been trembling slightly.

"Don't worry. It's the least I can do." He replied, with a tired smile. He sat down, and stared around at the Desian guards helplessly. There was a fire in his eyes, but it seems as if it was battling the dark clouds of fear with everything he's got. Anna looked him over. He wore clothing that seemed road-torn and worn, but it seemed to fit him comfortably. His movements were smooth and practised- those of a warrior.

Anna took a steadying breath and forced herself to move to a more comfortable position, sitting down, facing the man. One hand stroked the grass absently, pulling a blade loose and rolling it between her fingers. It felt a bit more comforting, giving her hands something to do, but that comfort inevitably vanished as she saw the blue gem embedded in her hand, reminding her of her situation. She felt herself filled with dread as she remembered the wounds Noishe had sustained...would the Arshis be alright?

"Well, my name's Lloyd. I was coming back from seeing the Thoda Geysers when those damned Desians jumped me. So...what's your name?" He finally said after a few moments of silence. Anna's thought snapped back to the present, from where she had been thinking about Kratos and Noishe.

"Oh, my name's Anna." She answered.

"I escaped from the Asgard ranch a few months ago..." She wasn't sure why she added the last part in, but she saw Lloyd suddenly seem to sit up straighter, his eyes shining with renewed hope.

"How did you do it? Maybe we can escape again!" He said excitedly. Anna frowned, wishing she hadn't mentioned her escape. She understood all too well now, how painful it was to gain hope, only to have it crushed before your very eyes.

She shook her head helplessly at the man, turning away to look at one of the Desians leaning comfortably against his spear.

"It's not possible. I wouldn't have been able to do it if not for--" She started, but was cut off as Lloyd shook his head and smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked directly at her, and it seemed the fire had returned to his eyes.

"You've done it before. That proves it's not impossible." He pointed out. He didn't seem desperate, Lloyd sounded completely sure of himself!

The young man sat back and laid down, placing both hands under his head, fidgeting a bit until he found a comfortable position. "The glass is half full my lady, remember that. Life's no fun if you don't see the good."

Anna watched Lloyd for a few moments, and realized that somehow, she felt a bit better with those words. And then she considered the man she knew would be trying to find her again. She watched the distant sunset, her thoughts with Kratos, and the promise he had made her. They'll free this world from the cycle of mana depletion, and return both worlds back together again. Somehow, one day.

---

The sun was setting, casting a bloody orange hue on the grasslands. Darkness pooled as an impenetrable blackness in areas of shadow, creating a vivid contrast between light and dark. It was against this backdrop that blue, glittering wings worked to get its owner to his destination. Just a bit faster...

There was a yelping noise, followed by a thud, and Kratos was startled out of his thoughts, taking a moment to descend, placing a foot firmly on the ground to stop his momentum. He then landed completely, dismissing his wings as he rushed back to where Noishe had fallen.

The Protozoan had done his best to keep up with the angel's brisk pace, and normally, it would have been easy for him. But he was still injured, and Kratos never had the time to do a full medical inspection of the Arshis to know where and how to heal the canine properly.

Noishe seemed to have tripped on his own legs, and his tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted for breath. He had managed to get up by the time Kratos got to his side, sitting on his haunches and trying to stand. He whined as he put some weight onto his injured hind leg.

Torn between two loyalties, Kratos looked to the west where it has been reported that a group of Desians had camped out. Anna was probably with them, and the sooner he got to her the better. He couldn't bear to think of what the Desians might do to the young woman. He wanted to take out his wings again, and fly as fast as he could to rescue her from the half-elves corrupted by Mithos's ideals. But he couldn't leave the one friend that has stood by him since the Ancient War. Noishe, who had bravely and selflessly done everything he always could to protect those around him.

Kratos looked back over to the west helplessly one more time, and then sat down next to Noishe, putting on hand on the Arshis, motioning for him to lie down and rest. Noishe resisted for a moment, for he wanted to go save the woman that had become his playmate as badly as his master, but eventually, he gave in and laid down on his side, making sure his weight wasn't on his injured foot.

The two friends sat together, watching the sun finally disappear under the distance horizon, across the ocean to the west. There wasn't much to feed a fire off of out here, so the two didn't make one. It was early summer, so the night shouldn't be too cold for Noishe, and temperature has never bothered the angel.

"It's so quiet without her isn't it Noishe?" Kratos asked, and the Arshis whined in response. Kratos petted Noishe absently, running his fingers through his soft fur, and picking bits of grass and dirt from his coat.

He'll get Anna back safely no matter what. Pushing away his concerns about her wellbeing, for they could do nothing now but worry him more, he thought about how they could reach their goal of returning the world to normal, while being safe from the Desians. There isn't a place in Sylvarant where the Desian's arms don't reach.

There isn't a place in _Sylvarant_...

---

It had taken them nearly a week to reach the ranch. Which was actually not too bad, considering that they had almost traversed the entire continent. The Desians had always talked about building a new ranch nearer to Palmacosta, and now that Governor-general Kieth was taken care of, there wouldn't be anything to oppose them.

Those who had been captured by the Desians were substantially weaker than when they had started off. The lack of food, the non-stop walking and working, and the exposure to the elements...it was too much for some of them to bear.

Anna did everything she could to make sure the others were unharmed. She taught the children not to talk back to the Desians, and the adults to do as the half-elves said. It pained her greatly to be imposing these rules, the rules of slaves, upon these people, but it was the only way most of them will be able to survive the trip.

Several members of the caravan had tried to escape, each and every time unsuccessfully. Their failure and the ensuing brutal punishment discouraged the others to try the same. Everyone was losing hope, some denying their situation, others just moving forward with broken resignation.

"Ouch." Lloyd winced as Anna tried her best to clean his wounds. Lloyd had tried to make a final break for it just as they reached the Ranch, and the Desians had not been generous with him. The entire caravan was now stationed right outside the ranch, as two Desians were sent in to announce their arrival.

"Well, it was worth a try." Lloyd shrugged as he gingerly pulled his shirt back on after Anna did all she could for him. "If I only have my sword back, I'll show those bastards not to mess with me."

Anna didn't respond, wishing that Lloyd hadn't acted so irrationally. Every single time the group sees a failed escape, they lose more and more hope. And it was terrible, seeing a group of such demoralized people, of seeing that hopelessness in people's eyes, to see their shoulders bent with sorrow.

The doors to the heavily guarded ranch opened up as a Desian came out of the facility, talking to the Desian that had lead the Caravan. The group was prodded to their feet, and directed towards the opening to the ranch. Seeing those steel walls, the electricity crackling along the top, the smell of sweat and blood permeating the air, panic began to grip Anna again. Where was Kratos? The man might not even know what had happened to her, to know where to look. Would he bothering going through all the trouble to find her?

As the door slammed shut behind them, Anna found herself wanting to simply just let go of the hope of being rescued.

---

They had gone slowly on account of Noishe's wounds, but neither could the Desians go very quickly on account of all the people they had in the group. So by the time the Desians reached the ranch, Kratos and Noishe were just behind them.

The Ranch was nestled in the crook of a mountain range, surrounded by forest and the ocean on one side. It was a hard trek here for Noishe, who didn't seem to be recovering. The daily pace they pushed to travel at has not allowed the injuries to heal properly. Kratos wanted nothing more to have told Noishe to stay and rest, and allowed Kratos to go to Anna by himself, but he couldn't leave Noishe behind.

Because he wasn't planning on coming back.

Kratos sensed the Ranch before he saw it. His angelic senses allowed him to pick up the distinctive smell of steel walls and advanced magitechnology. He could hear faint conversations in the distance, and the noise of many people shuffling around.

"We're getting nearer." Kratos told Noishe, slowing his pace and landing on the soft, rich soil of the forest floor. It was noon, with sunshine streaming through the leaves and speckling the ground with flashes of gold. Bird chirped happily, and squirrels went about their business. It seemed all too peaceful and merry for an area surrounding the Human ranch. His translucent wings dissipated as if insubstantial, and he waited a few moment for the struggling Noishe to catch up.

They walked the rest of the way to the ranch, until they could finally see the huge facility in an opening in the forest. It was dark and gloomy, a stark contrast against the natural world around it. There were many guards around and on the walls, but most of them seemed lax about their security. And why not? They were in the middle of nowhere, with the people of the world fearing them. Who would dare to attack this mini-fortress?

The group from Palmacosta were staked outside the door, as they were waiting for entry. Kratos held himself in check, his discipline keeping him from charging in and finding Anna. How badly he wanted to let her know that he was here, that she'll be fine, and that he hasn't abandoned her. He couldn't even be sure if Anna was still alive or not.

Noishe whined impatiently, but he held his ground as well. Even if he didn't know everything that was going on, he understood enough that Anna was here, or should be here, and that they'll rescue her soon.

Both of them tensed as the door to the ranch opened. They watched as the group began to enter the ranch, with Desian prodding them on. Kratos turned to Noishe, casting a quick first-aid spell to help Noishe get through the next little while, and then the two ran towards the gate. A few Desians spotted them, hollering orders to each other.

Kratos had been in this Ranch before, a long long time ago, when the ranches were first built on Sylvarant as Tethe'alla rose from their mana deprivation with a successful journey. Though it has been so long ago, Kratos's memory has never failed him before.

He and Noishe slipped into the gate just as it closed behind them, at around the same time the Desians have gathered enough wits around them to set off the alarm. They will have to be fast about this. This plan was rather risky, and frantic, but Kratos didn't think of that now as he drew his sword and cut down the nearest Desian that tried to stab him through.

He took out his wings, and the mere sight of them froze some of the Desians. Those wings meant he was an angel, and under the hierarchy of Cruxis, angels were above Desians. Fortunately, there weren't many Desians out in the courtyard, and not many stepped forward to try and stop him.

"Kratos!" a familiar voice cried from the crowd of prisoners, and Anna shoved her way past the others, stopping at the edge of the crowd to stare at him, tears rimming her eyes. She mouthed something that even Kratos's sensitive hearing couldn't pick up, but he knew that she had whispered the words 'You came.'

Kratos nodded and ran towards her, Noishe at his side. The group of people from Palmacosta didn't seem to know how to react, and most shied away as Kratos drew near, leaving an empty area around Anna before Kratos reached her. He wanted to hug her right there, to reassure her that everything will be fine, but this isn't the time or place.

He grabbed her hand and ran towards the central building.

"Where are we going?" She asked frantically, struggling to keep up with his long strides. She was relieved to see Noishe beside them, although she could see his limp and the pain of running with his injuries.

Kratos didn't have time to answer her, reaching the central door to the building and quickly forcing it open. He caught a surprised desian in the face with the hilt of Flamerge, dropping the half-elf to the ground unconscious. With a single deft movement, he grabbed the Desian's spear and handed it to Anna, who accepted it awkwardly and not feeling all that confident.

Kratos had let go of her hand at this moment, and allowed his wings to dissipate. Flying isn't going to give him the same tactical advantage inside the building as out in the courtyard. And it marked him too well.

"Follow me, quick!" He told Anna, and ran down the corridor to his right, keeping his pace slower so that Anna would not lag behind. Noishe stayed between the two of them, his injuries preventing him from joining the fight, but his size helped deter some of the Desian anyways.

Anna barely knew what she was doing, and it was a good thing that Kratos was taking care of any Desians they met before they could reach her, because she's sure that she'll stab herself accidentally with the spear if she tried to use it.

She nearly jumped as someone grabbed her arm and spun her around, but he was relieved to see that it was Lloyd. He seemed to have shoved his way through the Desians to get to her, and he carried a stolen sword in his hand.

"Why are you going deeper inside?" He cried out. "Get outside, we're trying to force the gate open!"

Noishe had stopped to bark at them, the fighting having riled him up pretty bad, and he wasn't in the mood for Anna to be dawdling behind. Kratos kicked a Desian away before spinning around in response to Noishe's bark.

"Hurry!" He called. Anna nodded and ran towards Noishe and Kratos, Lloyd now following her. She wasn't sure what Kratos had in mind, but she had to trust him. Lloyd stayed behind Anna, fighting with the Desian shortsword in his hand easily, moving with the confidence of one who had used a similar weapon for many years. Unlike Anna, who was used to seeing the inside of the Desian's bases, Lloyd still seemed to be gawking at all the unfamiliar technology. Nothing distracted him enough from his fighting though, and he skillfully repelled any attackers that tried to get near.

The foursome finally broke into a large room, and Kratos moved quickly to shut the door after everyone entered. He turned to all of them, his eyes on Lloyd for a moment. The man just shrugged, and looked around.

"Why are we here, and not outside?" Lloyd asked. "It feels like we've trapped ourselves here."

As if to accent his point, there was a loud bang against the door, and it caved in slightly. Kratos watched door anxiously for a moment, and then headed towards a group of computers to the side. The entire room was rather bare, except rows upon rows of computers lined against the walls. Lights danced along lines on the walls, pulsing with energy. The centre of the room was wide and bare, as if something large was usually showcased here.

"We can't stay in Sylvarant any longer." He explained to Anna, and there wasn't really any time to explain everything to Lloyd. He pressed a few things into the computer, and the middle of the floor opened up slowly, revealing a platform that began to rise. That platform supported a blue machine. Two wings folded out from both side, and the entire thing looked like a mechanical Wyvern.

The door seemed to explode as one of the Desians cast a spell on the other side, throwing the entire door into the room, nearly missing Lloyd. Kratos swore, knowing he didn't have enough time to program a safe destination. He grabbed Anna and ran towards the odd machine, which had now stopped ascending, and was hovering slightly above the platform.

"Get on on the Rheaird." He told her, and then turned to help Noishe get onto the machine. Anna did as Kratos asked, still trying to process what Kratos had said. _We can't stay in Sylvarant any longer._

"I don't know what's going on, but best luck to you two!" Lloyd cried out at them, saluting both of them with his sword. He then turned to face the group of three Desians that are now forcing their way into the blasted door frame.

Kratos climbed onto the machine himself, hoping that the Rheaird could take all of their weight.

"Wait, we can't leave Lloyd behind!" Anna cried out, but she knew that whatever this machine was, it wouldn't hold much more. She was practically sitting on top of Noishe, and Kratos was barely on it. Lloyd will have to fend for himself.

Kratos started up the Rheaird, and sent it forward.

"Hold on." He murmured to Anna, hoping he had the settings right and that the Rheaird was charged. If it wasn't, that would be the end of them, and they'll be splattered all over the opposite wall.

A fireball exploded behind them, sending debris flying everywhere as it destroyed equipment in the area. Kratos jerked as something large easily passed through his unarmored black sweater, and embedded itself into his right shoulder from behind.

And then, the world blurred a bit, then disappeared, and time seemed to stop. The feeling of traversing the plane between the worlds was a familiar one to Kratos, but it shocked Anna, and she instinctively panicked. Noishe howled and clamped his jaws down onto her clothing, because if she fell off the Rheaird, she'd be lost between the two worlds.

And then, everything seemed to come back to them.

The nothingness gave away to pure, blinding white. The Rheaird crashed into some sort of soft powder that absorbed most of the impact. Then came the frigid, paralyzing cold.

When the world stopped spinning, Anna looked around to see that they were half-buried in a snowbank, her clothing soaked from the melted snow and ice surrounding her. Noishe was struggling beneath her, and she quickly toppled out of the machine to let Noishe go.

Kratos was a few metres away from the flying machine. A large piece of steel fragment, what remained of some machine back from the ranch, was embedded deeply into his shoulder, although the backpack had deflected everything else that might have caused serious injuries.

She and Noishe rushed to him. He seemed semiconscious, but unresponsive. When the Rheaird had appeared here -wherever _here_ is- his weakened grasp with his injured arm had not been able to hold on, and he had been flung from the machine. The fall had forced the embedded object even deeper into his flesh.

Anna was shivering uncontrollably by now, and she could barely feel the tips of her fingers and toes. She looked to the distance, and could see a dark dot against the white. She logically knew that it was a town, but she couldn't grasp it. Why would there be snow here, when it was summer?

But those thoughts weren't present as she and Noishe trudged one step at a time towards the town, carrying Kratos between them.

She had to trust Kratos, whatever he had done to bring them here.

* * *

AN: Yes, I gave Lloyd a namesake. Yes, this guy's a lot cooler than Lloyd XD No I don't think he'll show up again. He's probably dead...


End file.
